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OC Hotel Burglary Probed

OCEAN CITY — Ocean City Police this week are looking for the suspect or suspects wanted in connection to the burglary of a resort hotel over the winter during which dozens of flat-screen televisions, DVD players and vacuum cleaners were stolen.

On March 7, Ocean City Police responded to the Castle in the Sand Hotel for a reported burglary. The investigation revealed the suspect or suspects had gained entry into numerous units at the hotel and stole 48 televisions, three flat-screen wall mounts and five DVD players. The televisions were all Samsung brand in the 26- to 32-inch range. In addition to the electronics, the investigation revealed roughly 14 industrial-strength vacuum cleaners were stolen from a storage room on the property. In all, the estimated value of the stole goods came in at around $35,000.

Ocean City Police detectives have been actively pursuing leads in the burglary, which is believed to have taken place sometime between late October 2011 and this month. The OCPD is asking for anyone with information about the burglary to contact Det. Simpson at 410-520-5349.

Armed Robber Sought

SALISBURY — Salisbury Police this week are seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect in an armed robbery at a store last Saturday.

Around 4:20 p.m. last Saturday, Salisbury Police responded to Bradley’s Market on Lake Street for a reported robbery that had just occurred. Officers met with a store employee who told police a lone suspect had entered the store a short time earlier and demanded money. According to the employee, the suspect indicated he was armed and stole an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register before fleeing the store on foot.

The suspect is described as an African-American male roughly 6’ tall with a medium build. At the time of the robbery, the suspect was wearing blue jeans, a black rain coat with the hood up and prescription glasses. Anyone with information about the robbery or the suspect is urged to call the Salisbury Police Department at 410-548-3165, or Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776.

Jail Time For OC Stabbing

SNOW HILL — An Ocean City man, arrested on numerous charges in October after stabbing another man in the chest with a knife during a dispute, pleaded guilty last week in Circuit Court to second-degree assault and was sentenced to three years in jail, most of which was suspended in favor of a fine, probation and restitution to the victim.

Around 5 p.m. last Oct. 26, Ocean City Police responded to a residence on Edgewater Avenue in the area of 8th Street for a reported stabbing. When OCPD officers arrived, they observed an intoxicated male suspect, later identified as Walter Leslie Everett, 49, attempting to stop police from entering the residence.

Officers found a 59-year-old victim, who had been stabbed once in the chest, in the kitchen. The unidentified victim was expected to make a full recovery. The investigation revealed Everett was the suspect in the stabbing and he was subsequently placed under arrest. During the booking process, Everett also assaulted an officer.

Everett has been charged with felony first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault and reckless endangerment. Last week in Circuit Court, he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to three years in jail, all but 12 days of which were then suspended. He was also fined $500, placed on probation for three years and ordered to pay $1,753 in restitution to the victim.

35 Years For Attempted Murder

SALISBURY — A Salisbury man found guilty of attempted second-degree murder in January for a shooting outside a nightclub last May was sentenced last week to 25 years in prison.

Last Friday, Darian Harold Makle, 26, of Salisbury was sentenced to 25 years in prison following a convictions related to shooting outside Gully’s nightclub in Salisbury last May 7. Makle was sentenced to 25 years for the attempted second-degree murder charge along with consecutive 10-year sentences for the use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and unauthorized use of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Around 2 a.m. last May 7, Salisbury Police responded to Gully’s nightclub for what was first reported as a fight in progress. Upon arrival, police learned two individuals, a 28-year-old Salisbury man and a 26-year-old Laurel, Del. woman had been shot. Both victims were transported to PRMC and treated for injuries considered non-life-threatening.

Detectives interviewed both of the victims and witnesses at the scene and developed Makle, who was working security at the nightclub at the time of the incident, as the suspect. Two days later, Fugitive Task Force members arrested Makle in Salisbury without further incident. In the wake of the shootings, which followed numerous other incidents at Gully’s, the nightclub voluntarily turned in its liquor license and went out of business.

Cocaine Dealers Nabbed
In Worcester Sentenced

BERLIN — Two men arrested in Worcester County in July 2010 after a routine traffic stop revealed a significant amount of crack cocaine in his rental vehicle were each sentenced last week in U.S. District Court to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised probation.

Around 7:30 p.m. on July 23, 2010, a Maryland State Police trooper on traffic patrol stopped a 2010 Toyota driven by Timothy M. Wilson, 42, of Toms River, N.J., for speeding and following too closely on Route 113 near Route 575. A K-9 scan on the vehicle, performed by MSP K-9 Camo, alerted probable cause and a search of the vehicle was then conducted.

During the search, police discovered nearly 323 grams, or roughly three quarters of a pound, of crack cocaine wrapped in plastic bags and concealed in a brown paper bag under the front passenger seat. The crack cocaine had an estimated street value of $34,000. Because of heavy weight and high street value, Wilson was charged with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of crack cocaine-large amount. Wilson’s passenger, Luis Ahorrio, 35, of Queen’s, N.Y., was also charged.

According to evidence presented during the five-day trial in U.S. District Court that ended last week, Wilson and Ahorrio left Wilson’s home in New Jersey in a rental car. Several hours later, Maryland State Police stopped the vehicle on Route 113 in northern Worcester County near Bishopville for speeding and following too closely. According to police reports, Wilson and Ahorrio appeared nervous when confronted by police, signaling probable cause to search the vehicle.

A K-9 search revealed the nearly 323 grams of crack cocaine in a larger bag filled with smaller bags under the passenger seat. At trial last week, both Wilson and Ahorrio denied any knowledge of the cocaine in their rental vehicle, but the federal jury concluded the two knowingly conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute the narcotics. In separate cases last week in U.S. District Court, Wilson and Ahorrio was ultimately sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised probation.

Grand Jury Indicts Coach

SALISBURY — The Wicomico High School football coach was indicted this week by a grand jury on multiple cases of alleged child sex abuse dating back to as early as 1997.

On Monday, the Wicomico County grand jury indicted David Nettles, 44, of Salisbury, on multiple counts of child sex abuse after an investigation launched by the Child Advocacy Center last November. The Child Advocacy Center began investigating the child sex abuse cases after victims came forward with allegations. According to detectives, Nettles allegedly committed offenses considered child abuse by a custodian and fourth-degree sex offense between August 1997 and June 2001. A second victim reported alleged offenses carried out by Nettles considered to be third-degree sex offense between January and December of 1998.

After the grand jury indicted Nettles, who has coached at Wicomico High for 15 years including head coach since 2004, on Monday, a warrant was sworn out for his arrest. He was taken into custody a short time later. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with additional information is urged to contact the Child Advocacy Center at 410-713-3497.

Embezzlement Alleged

SALISBURY — A Salisbury couple was arrested last week by Delaware State Police after an investigation revealed an alleged embezzlement scheme totaling over $400,000.

Valerie D. Onley, 41, was arrested last Friday and charged with numerous offenses after an investigation revealed she allegedly embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer, Westwood Farms in Millsboro, during a two-year period she served as bookkeeper for the company. According to police reports, Onley began her employment as bookkeeper at Westwood Farms in September 2008 and was in charge of the company’s finances including payroll and paying bills.

The investigation revealed during a period from August 2009 to August 2011, Onley allegedly began a scheme to steal money by writing checks to herself and her husband, using business credit cards for personal expenses and using company funds to pay personal bills. The sum total of the alleged theft came to over $400,000.

Valerie Onley was arrested last Friday and charged with numerous counts including theft over $100,000, theft from $50,000 to $100,000, unlawful use of a credit card, 26 counts of falsifying business records and failure to pay Delaware state taxes. She is being held on a $24,500 bond. Her husband, James Onley, Jr., 41, of Salisbury, faces the same charges and is being held in Maryland on unrelated charges.

Logging Machine Fire

SNOW HILL — No injuries were reported at a major fire at a Snow Hill lumber yard last week although a logging machine suffered extensive damage.

Around 4:15 p.m. last Thursday, firefighters from Snow Hill, Girdletree and Pocomoke responded to a reported fire at the Paul Jones Lumber Mill on E. Market Street in Snow Hill. First arriving units reported heavy fire showing from a police machine pilot house on the company property. Firefighters remained on the scene for about 45 minutes while bringing the blaze under control.

The Worcester County Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the fire and determined its cause to be the use of welding equipment in close proximity to combustible materials. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.

False Report Arrest

SALISBURY — A Parsonsburg man was arrested for making a false statement to a police officer and obstructing and hindering last week after allegedly making up a wild story about being attacked by three men in a vehicle.

Around 3 a.m. last Wednesday, Salisbury Police met with an alleged crime victim identified as William Taylor, 26, of Parsonsburg. Taylor told police he was walking along Beaglin Park Drive when he was picked up by a vehicle occupied by three African-American males. According to Taylor’s story, once he was in the vehicle, one of the men brandished a firearm and demanded money from Taylor.

Taylor told police he attempted to slap the gun away from his assailant when one of the other men started to strike him with a closed fist and stabbed him in the shoulder with an unknown object. Taylor told police he was able to flee the moving vehicle and get away from his assailants, which is when he contacted police.

During the course of the investigation it was learned Taylor had not told the truth about the incidents and that some of the statements he made had not occurred as he described them. As a result, Taylor was charged with two counts of making a false statement to an officer and two counts of obstructing and hindering.